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🕑 Added 2025-06-22 16:23:52 +0000 UTCChapter 146
"Go ahead," Keller said.
"Could you continue gathering information about Jake Dell?" Roy asked.
Keller looked at Roy with curiosity.
"Roy, why are you so interested in Jake?"
Roy thought for a moment, feeling it was okay to tell Keller. She had a strong sense of justice, and knowing the reason would definitely make her more dedicated.
"I suspect Jake is a cult member and is planning a terrorist attack!"
"A terrorist attack?"
Hearing this, Keller's expression immediately turned serious.
"Roy, are you sure? This isn't an ordinary accusation!"
"I'm about eighty percent sure!"
Keller knew Roy wouldn't joke about something this important.
"Alright, I'll find a way to collect information on Jake Dell. I'll contact you if I find anything significant!"
Roy nodded.
"Keller, you need to be careful too. Jake's people definitely won't give me as much time to save you as the dark web guys did!"
"I understand. I'm not in a state to take risks right now anyway."
After dinner, Roy chatted with Keller for a while longer before saying goodbye.
Sultana drove her own car, so she went straight home.
Mary drove Roy's car and dropped him off at the Dolphin Hotel before walking back to her dorm at UCLA.
The Dolphin Hotel wasn't too far from the UCLA campus; it was just a short walk away.
"Mary, you don't need to come all the way here to take care of me tomorrow."
Hearing this, Mary bit her lip and looked at Roy with tearful eyes.
"Roy, do you dislike me now?"
Roy was completely confused, not knowing why Mary would think that.
"Of course not! I'm just worried you'll be too tired from going back and forth!"
"I just want to come and take care of you!"
As she said this, Mary's face flushed red.
Roy scratched his head. Since Mary had already said that, he didn't want to say much more.
"Then, how about I drive you back to campus? It's not very safe at night lately!"
"But your health..."
"It's just a few minutes' drive. I can still manage."
"Okay!"
After dropping Mary off and returning to his hotel suite, Roy found the living room completely dark.
That was strange. It wasn't even eight o'clock yet. Had Heather and Penny already gone to sleep?
Just then, Roy noticed a sliver of light coming from under the bedroom door.
What was this...?
Roy pushed open the bedroom door and saw several candles lit in the room, casting a dim light. However, Roy could still clearly see three plump women: Heather, Penny, and Dahlia.
They were all wearing simple, plain clothes, the kind that looked very poor.
Without guessing, Roy knew this had to be Penny's idea again!
He could imagine Penny suggesting some playful antics with Heather, but he hadn't expected Dahlia to join in.
In Roy's memory, Dahlia had always been quite conservative. Even when they played poker last time, she stuck to very traditional rules.
"What are you all doing?"
Penny nudged Heather. This little girl loved coming up with ideas but didn't like being the one to take the lead, always making Heather the representative.
However, as soon as Heather opened her mouth, she spilled the beans on Penny.
"Penny said she wanted to help you relax!"
Roy's expression was odd. Three women in one night? How was that relaxing?
Besides, he was still injured and didn't have the energy for that!
Penny saw the thoughts in Roy's mind, walked over, hugged his arm, and pulled him to sit on a single sofa in the bedroom.
"Roy, don't worry! Tonight, you just need to enjoy yourself. We'll take care of everything else!"
Could there really be such a good thing?
Roy looked at Dahlia.
"Dahlia, is that what you think too?"
Dahlia was already incredibly shy, but she still looked at Roy with a firm gaze.
"Mmm!"
Roy smiled, sat down comfortably on the sofa, and prepared to see what tricks the three women had up their sleeves.
First, Heather and Penny gently helped Roy remove his armor. Then, they started encouraging Dahlia. It seemed Dahlia would be the first opponent tonight.
Dahlia was still a bit shy, especially with Roy sitting on the sofa with his chin resting on his hand, scrutinizing her with a strange look.
However, with Penny's soft encouragement, Dahlia walked up to Roy and began her performance.
At twelve o'clock, Dahlia got dressed and left the suite. She had to return to her own room, worried that her daughter would wake up in the middle of the night and cry if she couldn't find her.
As for Heather and Penny, they had already washed up and were now hugging Roy from either side.
"Roy, how does it feel?"
Heather drew circles on Roy's chest with her finger.
"Absolutely wonderful!"
Even the enjoyment of an emperor couldn't be better than this!
So, Roy's mood was incredibly wonderful right now, but he was also a bit curious about how Heather and Penny had managed to convince Dahlia.
"Penny, what was the deal with Dahlia?"
"It had nothing to do with me! Dahlia approached me herself, saying she wanted to repay you! Then I came up with this idea!"
Okay, so that's what happened.
Penny definitely played some role in it, Roy thought, seeing Heather giggling secretly beside him.
But this was a good thing. After tonight, Dahlia would definitely feel more integrated into Roy's family.
"Well done, Penny!"
Getting Roy's praise made Penny as proud as a child who had received a "Three Good Student" certificate at the end of the semester.
Hearing this, Heather also wanted to get Roy's praise.
"Roy, what about me?"
As soon as she spoke, Roy remembered the work he had arranged a few days ago.
"Heather, how's the studio situation?"
"I asked Attorney Nord to handle it. He's already completed the studio's registration in Utah and will be able to fax over the documents and everything tomorrow!"
Did that mean the FEA's more than ten million dollars would be arriving soon?
Roy couldn't help but kiss Heather.
"You did a great job too!"
After chatting for a while longer, the three of them turned off the lights and went to sleep.
This time, Roy finally didn't continue dreaming about the hallway outside Room 1408 and slept soundly until dawn.
In the following days, Roy rested at the Dolphin Hotel to recover from his injuries. By the weekend, his body had basically recovered to eighty or ninety percent.
Keller's investigation was progressing steadily. Her former classmates mostly worked in the media industry in Los Angeles and had exceptionally strong connections, so the investigation into Jake was moving very quickly.
From Keller, Roy learned that Jake Dell had joined some kind of religious order before his wife passed away.
So, Jake's change wasn't after his wife's death, but before it.
What was even more chilling was that Jake's wife had originally been diagnosed with a benign tumor, not the cancer Andy had mentioned.
It could have been cured with surgery, but Jake kept delaying the surgery for his wife and instead often took her on shows to play the sympathy card.
It wasn't until his wife's condition started to worsen that Jake finally sent her to the hospital, but by then it was too late.
Unfortunately, Keller still hadn't found out which religious order Jake had joined. The order seemed very mysterious with very few followers.
This didn't match the Beelzebub Order that Roy knew about. Could it be another evil cult organization?
However, Sultana had already confirmed through Customs that Jake had indeed not traveled abroad. This guy was just hiding in Los Angeles City.
Gerald, who had been away on a business trip, hadn't returned in the past few days, which had slowed down Roy and their investigation progress.
They didn't know what the heck this guy was doing. They couldn't reach him by phone, and they couldn't find him anywhere.
Roy was starting to suspect if Gerald had been in a helicopter accident and gone to respawn.
Okay, probably not. Otherwise, the FEA would definitely have issued an obituary.
The arrival of the weekend also meant that the elimination rounds of the Santa Monica Cup would officially begin.
"Mr. Blake, I've already got the information on your first-round opponent. Would you like to take a look?"
"Sure, let's see it."
Picking up the thin stack of documents Allen handed him, Roy saw that his opponent was a muscular, bronze-skinned bald man who looked quite old.
"Huh, another middle-aged guy?"
"No, that guy just looks old. He's a student at the University of San Francisco, mixed race – Black and Native American. He's quite strong, so you better be careful!"
Roy was a bit surprised. This guy was actually a student. Looking at the detailed information on the document, he really was only 20 years old.
Looking like he was 40 at the age of 20? That was way too rushed!
"Mr. Blake, you don't look very healthy. Are you sick?"
Allen noticed that Roy's complexion was rather pale, with a hint of sickness.
"No, I just didn't sleep well last night. I'm fine."
Actually, Roy's complexion had improved a lot. A few days ago, his face had been as white as paper, looking like a seriously injured person.
If Allen had seen Roy then, he would definitely have advised him to withdraw.
"Alright then, why don't you take this time to rest and recover? I'll call you when the match starts."
"Thank you, Mr. Berger!"
Entering the elimination rounds, the organizers of the Santa Monica Cup finally decided to spend some money to build some seating for the audience, instead of just having a few bare rings.
This would give the live audience a better viewing experience.
However, the organizers of the Santa Monica Cup definitely hadn't expected this year's competition to attract so many spectators. The seating was completely full, and even the specially reserved aisles were packed with people.
There was no other way; the organizers had to hire more security to maintain order, otherwise, if something went wrong, he would be held responsible.
Of course, the Santa Monica Cup's popularity also attracted the attention of certain groups to this piece of the pie, namely gambling, which was basically inseparable from sports competitions.
Roy had heard about this from Mary. Apparently, even UCLA students were participating in off-site betting on the Santa Monica Cup.
"Roy, it's your turn!"
Allen's voice interrupted Roy's thoughts. He stood up, took off his jacket, and walked out of the tent the organizers had set up for the fighters to prepare.
A huge cheer pierced the night sky as Roy walked through the crowd like a superstar.
Because of his handsome looks and flashy fighting style, after five matches, Roy had already become the most popular boxer in the Santa Monica Cup.
Even the local newspapers in Los Angeles had started writing news about Roy.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, it's the first round of the Santa Monica Cup, the second heavyweight amateur boxing match! The two competitors are 'Rocky' Jalen Brooke in the blue corner and 'Grim Reaper' Roy Blake in the red corner! Both of these fighters are very young. Jalen Brooke is 20 years old, and Roy Blake is even younger at just 18 years old. Now, both fighters are ready, the referee is explaining the rules, let's look forward to the performance of these two young athletes."
Even live commentary had been added for the elimination rounds.
After the referee finished explaining the rules, he announced the start of the match.
"The match has begun, let's see what the opening strategies of the two fighters are. Wait! Roy Blake suddenly approaches Jalen Brooke quickly! This is quite different from his previous match strategies! Jalen Brooke is looking for an opportunity to attack, but Roy Blake has dodged it! Beautiful V-shaped sway! What does Roy Blake want to do?
Oh my goodness! One punch! Roy Blake knocked down Jalen Brooke with just one punch! Can Jalen Brooke get back up?"
Of course not!
Roy had already calculated the force. This punch would at least put Jalen Brooke to sleep for a few hours.
After the referee finished the countdown, he directly announced Roy as the winner by knockout.
This match was too fast. Including the referee's countdown, it didn't even last half a minute. Many spectators hadn't even reacted before the match was over.
The main reason was that Roy's body hadn't fully recovered, and he didn't want to fight for too long.
However, the live audience still gave Roy a lot of respect, and the entire arena was chanting his nickname.
Roy raised both hands, waved to the audience, and then stepped off the ring to hug Heather, Penny, Dahlia, and Mary.
Mary Hill (Demi Moore)
*Chapter 147: Time of Purification*
Florida, just outside of Miami.
Florida is one of the most fascinating states in America. It boasts the most diverse range of geographical environments in the country – you can find just about any type of terrain here.
It's also a prime destination for invasive species. Don't be surprised to see any kind of animal here; that's just Florida for you.
And the mindset of Floridians is particularly... unique. There's a famous saying online that pokes fun at their tendency to do things their own way:
"Florida doesn't raise any slackers."
Just as Roy won his first elimination round, on the outskirts of Miami, Florida's second-largest city, a white-robed nun wearing a black eye patch was walking down a secluded path.
It was far from the city center, surrounded by dense tropical jungle. You could faintly hear the sounds of nocturnal animals.
But the white-robed nun didn't seem scared at all, steadily walking deeper into the forest.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, a wooden church covered in moss and vines appeared before the white-robed nun.
This wooden church looked like it had stood there for ages. The tropical climate had taken its toll, and the building was quite dilapidated, but it still maintained a relatively intact structure.
The white-robed nun walked up and gently pushed open the church's wooden door, causing it to creak.
The church interior was empty except for a black-robed nun kneeling in front of a crucifix, silently praying.
The white-robed nun watched the black-robed nun's back for a long time. The other nun didn't react at all, as if she hadn't noticed the white-robed nun's arrival.
After a while, the white-robed nun spoke in a cold, clear voice.
"Michael, don't you have anything to explain to me?"
The black-robed nun's body trembled slightly.
"Y-yes, I'm sorry! Lord Michael is currently asleep!"
A gentle but somewhat timid voice answered the white-robed nun.
This caused a ripple in the white-robed nun's otherwise placid expression. In the Vatican, she had only found the other nun's location and didn't know what had happened.
"Why has it come to this?"
The black-robed nun fell silent, her entire body starting to tremble slightly, seemingly terrified by the white-robed nun's imposing presence.
However, since the black-robed nun had been chosen by Michael as her human vessel, she naturally possessed some excellent qualities.
"I... I can't say!"
The white-robed nun sighed.
"Isabella, do you think that by not speaking, you can hide it from Uriel's eyes?"
Uriel, the angel of wisdom, whose eyes can see the past and the future. Very few things can escape her gaze.
Isabella closed her eyes. Although her body was still trembling somewhat, her attitude remained firm.
"I... I promised Lord Michael that I wouldn't say anything, no matter what!"
Uriel scrutinized Isabella with an expressionless face. As the absolutely rational angel of wisdom, she wouldn't get angry just because the other nun refused to tell the truth.
In fact, very few things could cause Uriel's emotions to fluctuate greatly.
"Even if God himself were here, would you still not speak?"
"Even if God himself were here!"
Isabella's meaning was very clear. Uriel nodded slightly.
"Not bad. You are a person who keeps her promises. However, even if you don't speak, I can still find the answer."
With that, Uriel turned and left.
Uriel indeed couldn't see what had happened to Michael before, but as the angel of wisdom, she wasn't just good at peeking at answers.
Although some force had obscured what had happened to Michael, she could still indirectly deduce the truth through other events.
It would just take some time.
Feeling Uriel's departure, Isabella let out a heavy sigh of relief. She hadn't expected the pressure from the angel of wisdom's presence to be so overwhelming.
Was that how it felt when her body was controlled by Lord Michael?
As soon as she thought of Michael, Isabella's thoughts couldn't help but drift to a certain boy, causing a slight ripple in both her heart and her body.
But as soon as this ripple appeared, Isabella immediately suppressed it, clearing her mind of all distractions and focusing on praying to God.
However, once a ripple is created, it will always slowly spread. Even if the surface of the water looks calm, there are already undercurrents flowing beneath.
The scene cuts back to Los Angeles. After the match, Roy had a simple celebration with Heather, Penny, Dahlia, and Mary.
Well, it was really just a celebration, because tonight was the latest episode of "Night Owls." Keller's simp, Andy, had mentioned that Jack was doing some kind of special program recently, which Roy was very interested in.
At exactly 10 p.m., the "Night Owls" reality show officially began.
The opening still had that Golden Age stage performance style, which was perhaps one of the few remaining old-school elements Jack had kept.
Roy and his younger friends had absolutely no interest in this kind of performance.
In the living room of the suite, the four women were chatting quietly, while Roy opened his laptop, chatting with Jennifer and Needy while Browse recent events in Los Angeles.
Penny was discussing studio matters with Heather. She was genuinely enthusiastic about Roy's studio and had been studying very diligently lately.
As for Dahlia, she was sharing her childcare tips with Mary. They were both the kind of women who were good wives and mothers, and they had similar family values.
Finally, after ten minutes of boring song and dance, the host, Jack, officially appeared.
Tonight's show was a bit strange. After Jack came on stage, he didn't invite any guests, which seemed different from the usual format.
This made Roy feel like something was off.
After a bit of meaningless banter, Jack finally got to the point.
"Everyone must be wondering why it's just me here tonight without any guests. Has this terrible show finally gotten so poor that we can't afford any?"
Jack had a funny expression on his face, which caused a burst of laughter from the audience.
"Okay, just kidding! Director, please don't dock my pay! Actually, we do have a guest tonight, but the guest's entrance is a bit special. He won't be appearing on stage, but rather—take a look at our live feed!"
The large screen behind Jack started playing a video, and at the same time, a split screen appeared on the TV.
What came into view was the face of a young man with medium-length hair and a familiar goatee. Wasn't this the fake pastor Max who had been on the show several times before?
Roy was very surprised.
So this was pre-recorded, and Jack and Max were going to have a live video call.
What kind of stunt were they going to pull this time?
"Hey, Jack, can you hear me?"
Max's big face was right up against the screen, as if he was looking at the camera.
"Yes, of course, I can hear you! It would be even better if your face was a little further away! We can already see the pimples on your face!"
"Pimples? No way! I just checked! Cough, cough!"
Max took a few steps back so everyone could see the environment behind him.
You could tell that Max was inside a villa. The interior decoration was quite luxurious.
Behind Max, a woman was sitting in a chair with her head tilted. Her body was restrained, almost like she was in an electric chair.
Next to the woman stood a man who looked about the same age as Max, also wearing a pastor's robe.
Seeing this scene, Jack started making fun again.
"Oh, Max! Before recording today, you suddenly said you had a surprise for me. Is this your surprise? Good heavens! My show is for all ages. Please don't do anything weird!"
Jack suddenly went off-script, causing another round of laughter from the audience.
Max suddenly put on a very serious face and said that famous line from the Deputy Goat.
"This will be the last time you disrespect me! People have always said I'm a fake pastor. Today, I will personally demonstrate the most authentic church exorcism method. Take a look here!"
The pastor behind him turned the woman's chair so that her face was directly facing the camera.
You could see that the woman was wearing dirty clothes. Her face was a very sickly pale, and she had very exaggerated blue veins on her skin, like varicose veins.
But if there were such extensive varicose veins, it would definitely be incredibly painful. However, this woman didn't react at all; she just kept her head tilted, looking at the ground.
If it weren't for the fact that the woman's eyes were open, Roy would have thought she was asleep.
Jack continued talking to Max.
"Alright, so what are you going to do?"
"Witness this!"
Max turned his back to the camera. First, he took out a towel embroidered with a cross and placed it on the back of the woman's restrained hand.
This action made Roy a bit confused. Was this the most authentic church exorcism method?
Then, a line of text appeared at the bottom of the screen: Vatican-produced towels, blessed by the Holy Land, now only $19.99 each!
Damn it, so it was an ad!
Roy couldn't help but roll his eyes. He thought this Max was going to do something real, but it was just another show.
And a towel in the supermarket only cost a few bucks. This Max guy was actually selling them for several times that price. What a ripoff!
Afterward, Max held up a crucifix to the woman who was strapped to the chair.
"In the name of the eternal God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I hereby declare war on the devil! Devil, the cross of Christ has overcome the power of death! Now tell me your true name!"
Although the towel placement earlier was purely for advertising and seemed a bit nonsensical, this part of the process wasn't wrong.
However, the devil obviously wouldn't be foolish enough to directly reveal its true name. The woman just shook her head and muttered, a low chuckle coming from her mouth, completely ignoring Max.
So, Max put down the crucifix, took a transparent glass bottle from his assistant, opened it, and suddenly splashed the contents onto the woman.
The woman, who had been giggling just moments before, suddenly let out a low growl, like a wounded beast, and a large amount of white smoke billowed from her body.
This scene also caught the attention of the four women who had been chatting. They stopped talking and focused their attention on the TV screen.
Roy frowned slightly. This scene was indeed quite startling, and even the live audience of the reality show on TV gasped.
However, Roy, who spent a lot of time online in his previous life, knew that this kind of effect could be artificially created. But with two screens between them, Roy couldn't tell what Max's trick was.
Watching the woman struggle in pain, Max once again held the crucifix to her head.
"Silence! Unclean spirit! In the name of Jesus Christ—King of Kings and Lord of Lords—I command you: reveal your name and leave this temple of God! The precious blood of Christ has broken your chains, and the fire of the Holy Spirit will burn away all your schemes!"
The woman was still struggling, her body joints twisting in unnatural ways. It looked incredibly painful to an outsider.
And Max, holding the crucifix, stepped closer and closer to the woman. As he approached, the woman's struggles became even more violent.
Finally, the woman spat out a name from her throat.
"Mos...ti...ma..."
Mostima?
Roy knew that name. This guy was originally the commander of the Watcher Angels, but later, for some unknown reason, he became a fallen angel, a symbol of "hatred," "hostility," and "persecution."
After obtaining the devil's true name, Max immediately picked up the Bible and began to recite loudly, pressing the crucifix against the woman's forehead.
"Mostima, I bind you, spirit of hatred, fallen one, by the authority of the Holy Trinity, I cast you out to the wilderness appointed by Jesus! This body is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit; you have no right to defile it!
I declare: Lanley's soul and body are now in the peace and freedom of Christ!"
The pastor's assistant next to him also recited the exorcism words along with Max.
"Lord Jesus, we ask that your light fill this place and protect your children from evil!"
Amidst the continuous recitation of the two men, the woman strapped to the chair let out a piercing scream. Finally, her whole body went still, as if she had fainted.
Max stepped forward to check on the woman's condition, then returned to the camera.
"This exorcism was successful! I have once again saved the soul of an innocent woman!"
To be honest, Max's exorcism routine was quite realistic, to the point where Roy was starting to doubt if his previous judgment was wrong.
Could it be that this Max was actually a formally trained exorcist pastor?
But Max's behavior didn't seem like that of a proper pastor at all. It was quite bizarre.
On the show, Max and Jack bantered and joked with each other, using the conversation as a way to advertise things like crosses blessed by Max, limited edition Bibles signed by Max, and the holy sash he wore around his neck.
Just as Jack and Max were exchanging various bridging remarks across the screen, the camera captured a shocking scene.
The woman, Lanley, who should have been unconscious, suddenly sat upright.
This action was clearly unexpected by Max's assistant. He was startled and then tried to block the camera, not wanting it to capture this scene.
Then, an invisible force flung the assistant completely out of the frame.
If the previous scene only made the live audience laugh a little, then the next scene captivated everyone.
Lanley's neck rotated three hundred and sixty degrees in front of the camera!
"What's wrong? Why have all your expressions changed like that?"
Movie poster
Chapter 148: Turning on Each Other
Forget about what the live audience looked like, even Roy and the others watching TV were losing it with their facial expressions.
Especially Dahlia and Mary. These two women hadn't known Roy for very long and hadn't really seen much of the world, so their mouths were hanging open wide enough to fit a jumbo-sized lollipop.
"R-Roy, is this show for real?"
Mary asked Roy, looking totally incredulous.
"I'm guessing that first part was probably fake, but this part now? This has gotta be real!"
There's no way a human neck can rotate three hundred and sixty degrees, and they can't use special effects on a live broadcast, so that woman named Lan Li is probably actually possessed by a demon right now.
As he was talking, Roy's phone rang. He pulled it out and saw it was Saltana calling.
"Hey, it's Roy."
"Roy, did you catch Night Prowler tonight?"
"Yeah, I'm watching it right now! Are you watching too?"
"Yep. Ever since you said that host, Jack Deal, was suspicious, I've been keeping an eye on his show. I even went back and watched some of his old Night Prowler episodes."
Saltana was super serious about her work, bordering on a workaholic.
"So, Roy, what do you make of tonight's Night Prowler?"
"The exorcism at the beginning was likely staged, but what's happening now? That's gotta be real!"
"You sure?"
"At least seventy percent sure! Wanna bet on it?"
Saltana definitely didn't want to bet; seventy percent certainty was already pretty high.
"Saltana, you should probably tell the TV station to stop broadcasting this show. I'm worried something bad is going to happen!"
"That's impossible. I'm just a low-level agent right now; I don't have the authority to order a TV station to stop a broadcast! All I can do is report the issue up the chain."
Saltana was really frustrated, especially since they couldn't get ahold of Gerald, and the FEA office in Los Angeles was mostly filled with mediocre people, the kind who just wanted to collect their paycheck and avoid any extra work.
Roy thought for a moment and then offered a suggestion.
"Actually, it's not like we can't do anything at all. Maybe we could investigate where Max performed the exorcism."
This gave Saltana an idea.
"You're right! Roy, I'm heading to the Dolphin Hotel right now to meet up with you, and then we can go investigate this!"
While Roy was on the phone with Saltana, the Night Prowler show was still going on.
"Uh, Max, you might want to take a look behind you."
The host, Jack, gave Max a heads-up. Max turned around, looking surprised, and saw Lan Li, who had just finished her neck exercises, looking at him with a smirk.
Right then, Lan Li's pupils had turned a dark gold color, almost exactly like Roy's when he transformed, and her face was covered in twisting black lines. It looked seriously creepy.
Seeing this scene, Max started to panic because what was happening was definitely not in their script.
"Drew? Where are you?"
Max started calling out his assistant's name, and then he spotted Drew in the corner. He'd been thrown against the wall by some powerful force and was too sore to get up for a while.
Just as Max was about to run over and help Drew up, the possessed Lan Li suddenly spoke, stopping Max in his tracks.
"You better not leave the camera's view, darling Max."
Max froze instantly, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he looked at Lan Li, a sense of dread washing over him.
"W-who are you really?"
Lan Li let out a nasty, piercing laugh.
"Hahaha, didn't you just say my name? Have you already forgotten?"
Max was stunned. He had indeed mentioned the name of a demon, the fallen angel Mastema, but that was just a name he'd picked at random while flipping through some资料 (zīliào - materials/information).
Could it be that he'd actually summoned the real deal just by saying a name?
In a panic, Max grabbed a crucifix and a Bible and started reciting the exorcism words he'd just used, pointing them at Lan Li.
"Mastema, I bind you, spirit of hatred, fallen one, by the authority of the Holy Trinity…"
Unfortunately, the possessed Lan Li didn't want Max to finish the exorcism. She opened her mouth and spat a large amount of thick, black goo onto Max's face.
The intense stench made Max feel like he couldn't breathe, and he started violently vomiting right there on camera.
The scene was absolutely disgusting, but it also showed why priests always bring at least one assistant when performing an exorcism.
Without someone to restrain the possessed person, the exorcism process is easily interrupted.
What happens when an exorcism is interrupted? Just look at Max's current situation.
Lan Li, who was now spewing what looked like oil from her mouth, looked at Max's suffering and let out a shrill laugh.
At this point, Drew, the assistant who had been thrown across the room earlier, had finally managed to get back on his feet. He didn't go to help Max; instead, he tried to sneak over to the computer while the demon wasn't paying attention to him to look up some information.
Clearly, the demon possessing Lan Li wasn't Mastema, so Max's exorcism attempt had failed completely.
Even though Max was a fake priest, their team had actually learned techniques from professional exorcist priests to make their act more convincing.
Unfortunately, performing an exorcism isn't just about learning the techniques; it also requires sincere faith and a strong will, things that these fakes definitely didn't have.
"Don't go, Drew. Don't you have any stories you want to share with your good friend Max?"
Drew's plan failed. Just as he got close to the computer near the filming area, Lan Li suddenly turned her gaze towards him.
The Night Prowler show on TV was still going on. This talk show, which was originally focused on guest interviews, had completely turned into a live reality show.
The live audience was glued to the screen, not even daring to breathe.
Just then, Saltana called again.
"Roy, I'm downstairs at the hotel!"
"I'll be right down!"
Roy picked up the remote and turned off the TV. The four women had been completely engrossed in the show and looked a little disappointed when the TV went off.
Heather even had a complaint.
"Roy, why did you turn off the TV?"
"There's something wrong with that show. We can't keep watching it! I have to go out right now, and you guys should really stay inside the Dolphin Hotel!"
Hearing this, Mary paused.
"Roy, can't I even go back to school?"
Roy looked at the short-haired college student.
"Mary, trust me! Staying in the Dolphin Hotel is the safest thing right now!"
Mary nodded, but there was a slight blush on her face, and it wasn't clear what she was thinking.
After instructing the women, Roy left the suite with his laptop.
The reason he brought his laptop was that he still wanted to watch the Night Prowler show, and he could log into the TV station's official website to watch it.
Saltana was driving a black Cadillac, which looked pretty official, probably a car assigned to her by the FEA.
"Roy, get in quick!"
Roy got in the car, buckled his seatbelt, and then opened his laptop to continue watching the Night Prowler show.
"What's happening on the show now?"
Since she was driving, Saltana could only ask Roy.
"The demon is trying to turn Max and Drew against each other!"
It turned out that Lan Li, the woman they'd brought in to perform the exorcism, was actually Drew's girlfriend.
Since Lan Li had experience performing in the drama club and was a pretty good actress, Drew thought it would be better to give the job to someone he knew rather than hiring another actor, so he asked Lan Li to do it.
Max himself didn't know about this until the demon possessing Lan Li revealed it.
Max was a little angry about this.
"Drew, you actually lied to me!"
Drew quickly explained, "Max, wait a second! I did mention this to you, but you were too busy hitting on some girl at the time, so you forgot! Besides, wasn't Lan Li's performance just now pretty good?"
Lan Li's performance just now had indeed been very impressive. Her body language, facial expressions, and delivery were all spot on, so much so that even Roy had almost been fooled.
This explanation made Max feel a little better, but the seed of doubt had been planted, and it wasn't going to be easy to resolve.
What's more, there was still a demon in the middle stirring things up.
"Hehehe! Max, why don't you tell your own story?"
Max's expression changed, and it was clear from this that he also had something to hide from Drew.
Drew noticed Max's expression, and his own expression turned sour.
"Max, what are you hiding from me?"
"Nothing! This demon is just trying to cause trouble!"
Max said this right in front of the demon, so the demon was naturally very unhappy. Just like it had done with Drew earlier, it threw Max directly against the wall.
This time, the fall looked pretty bad. Then Roy noticed that the camera had actually started moving.
If there wasn't another cameraman on set, then the demon possessing Lan Li was controlling the camera.
"Oh, dear Max, you better just tell the audience the truth, or this beautiful girl might just die!"
The demon threatened Lan Li's life, and Drew immediately couldn't take it anymore.
"Max, just tell him! Whatever it is you have to confess, I'll forgive you!"
Drew had said this much, so after hesitating for a moment, Max decided to come clean.
"Actually, I've been taking on private gigs, and I've probably made a few hundred thousand dollars in the past couple of years."
As soon as he said this, Drew got really agitated.
"Max, when we started working together, we agreed to split everything fifty-fifty! How could you take on private gigs behind my back?!"
Max quickly explained, "But those people only hired me because I'm good-looking, not because I can actually perform exorcisms!"
Well, well, it turns out rich women were coming to his door!
Did he also use his "demon-subduing staff" to exorcise those rich ladies?
But speaking of looks, even though Max had a goatee, he was handsome, with a pair of melancholic, sky-blue eyes. He probably really appealed to a certain type of woman.
In comparison, Drew's appearance was pretty average, the kind of person you'd lose track of in a crowd.
"That's still not okay! My idea is what made you famous! Every single dollar you've earned should have a cut for me!"
This made Max a little unhappy.
When someone becomes successful, they inevitably receive praise from all sides. Over time, they start to attribute all their success to themselves, thus overlooking the efforts of those around them.
This is a very common phenomenon in all sorts of industries, what people call "getting a big head."
Max had clearly started to get a big head, which is why he was unhappy with Drew's words.
"I told you, it's all because of my face; it has nothing to do with you!"
"Damn it! If I hadn't made you famous, how would those rich women have even seen you?!"
The two started arguing, their language becoming increasingly heated, with all sorts of words that couldn't be said on television constantly flying out. The show's producers had to use a "beep" sound to cover up the curse words.
For a while, the show was just a constant stream of beeping sounds, like a telegraph machine.
At this point, Saltana had already driven to the TV station. Roy had gotten Andy's phone number from Keller and called him directly.
"Mr. Harrison, are you at the TV station right now? I have some important business to discuss with you!"
"Alright, I'll wait for you downstairs."
To investigate the pre-recorded segment, they still needed help from someone inside the TV station.
Not long after, Andy came down from the TV station building.
"Mr. Black, what's the urgent matter you wanted to see me about?"
Roy gestured for Saltana to speak. Saltana took out her badge and showed it to Andy.
"Federal Emergency Agency. We'd like to ask you some questions."
Andy was taken aback for a moment, but since he worked at a TV station, he'd seen more than the average person and wasn't too nervous.
"FEA? I haven't heard of that government agency!"
Roy chimed in to explain for Saltana.
"Mr. Harrison, if you don't believe us, you can call Keller to confirm."
Roy brought up Keller's name, and Andy immediately fell silent.
"Okay, ask away. I'll try my best to answer anything that's not confidential."
Roy and Saltana exchanged a look. They hadn't expected Keller's name to be more effective than the FEA badge.
"We're investigating Jack Deal. We'd like to know where the live feed he showed on his program tonight was filmed."
This question made Andy scratch his head. He'd originally thought it was going to be something more private.
"Why do you want to know that?"
"You don't need to worry about the 'why.' Just tell us the answer!"
"Alright, I actually don't know the answer to that question. I'm not part of the Night Prowler production team, but I can call the show's director and ask."
With that, Andy took out his phone and started making a call.
A few minutes later, Andy got the answer.
"That live feed was actually filmed at the Hollywood Disney Studios, Stage 13, I think."
KABC-TV, where Jack worked, was a subsidiary of ABC (American Broadcasting Company). This major broadcasting company had been acquired by Disney in 1996, so KABC-TV could borrow Disney's studio lot.
But isn't Stage 13 a bit unlucky? Doesn't Disney care about that kind of thing?
Roy and Saltana got back in the car, ready to head to Disney Studios in Hollywood.
"Wait a minute, you guys aren't thinking of going to the Disney Studios right now, are you?"
"Is there a problem, Mr. Harrison?"
"You probably won't be able to get in right now. Why don't you take me with you?"
Andy seemed to want to use Roy as his way in, so he was being very enthusiastic.
But Roy didn't want to bring along any extra baggage.
"No need, Mr. Harrison. We have our own way! Thank you for your help, and we hope you won't mention our visit tonight to anyone."
With that, Roy and Saltana got into the black Cadillac.
The demon from The Cleansing Hour.
